Necessary But Not Sufficient
Rory Bowman
A few folks have contacted me over the last few days to ask what I
think about the semi-announcement to some members that the Vancouver
Food Cooperative has been offered the space at August Moon, 111 West
39th Street, former host to all sorts of wellness and cultural events,
including classes and the Abundant Life Center. My general response is
that it changes nothing, and that announcing one possible address is
not magical pixie dust that will suddenly make things magically better.
At one point I was part of a fairly clean plan to build a modest
cooperative grocery store somewhere in west Vancouver, west of I-5 and
south of 39th Street. There are significant logistical issues around
converting the 111 W 39 St space to such a grocery, and those will
become clear soon enough. The larger logistical issue is one of poor
planning and abandonment or disregard for previous plans.
Opening a cooperative grocery of even two-thousand square feet is no
small undertaking, and takes a dedicated and well-coordinated team. A
dedicated and well-coordinated team takes a solid plan and a clear
vision. A street address, although necessary at some point, is not
sufficient. To have any chance of opening within the next three years,
any food cooperative will need several more things.
1. A competent leadership team
2. A clear vision which can be articulated and shared
3. Talented people to create workable systems from that vision
4. Specific, concrete, measurable plans and benchmarks
5. Transparency to inspire public and professional confidence
6. Adequate funding, well-managed, to bring in more cooperators
The existence of these things would be evidenced in several ways, such
as
A. Clearly-identifiable and transparent structures
B. Readily-accessible information on the mission and its progress
C. Records and systems to make it easier for people to learn and help
D. Open records about meetings, finances and decisions
From at least 2007 it was the general plan to accumulate at least
$100,000 in cash capital before even beginning a site search, and then
to exercise some discretion and security in disclosing the exact
details of that search. The reason for this was (a) so that there
would be enough money to act on a deal and (b) so that we minimized
the risk of someone else learning of the deal and either getting there
first or raising their prices, based on our perceived strength and
vulnerability. Even if a good deal could be obtained, a serious
opportunity would require serious money and the opportunity to move
quickly. Without a plan and money, choosing an address made no sense,
and it still doesn't.
Even if the owners of 111 West 39th Street were to give the entire
property to the corporation which is VFC, I do not believe they would
be able to open a store within a year, and I don't believe that store
would stay in business for five. With only property and no cash, they
would be forced to get a loan against the value of the property, using
that for renovations and to hire staff. Even if they were able to do
it with volunteer labor, they would still need to install fixtures and
equipment, secure inventory and build the systems to account for all
purchases, including licenses and taxes and insurance. As an
organization, they simply cannot. They lack vision, talent, plans and
credibility.
An announcement that the owner of a vacant building might be willing
to rent to VFC does nothing to solve basic issues of financial
competence, transparency in governance or operational skill and
talent. Landlords give tours and people promise all the time.
To think that August Moon can save a vegetative VFC is lunacy, and I
am confident that any April 1 tour of an "exciting, new possibility"
shall prove this.
http://VFCBizPlan.com
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pcu84d3MW6gf6GjcNN9gaMg